Carlos Solis
, High blood pressure, a major risk factor for death from heart disease, requires regular monitoring starting in childhood.
A new study by researchers from leading scientific centers in the U.S. has revealed that children with elevated or high blood pressure (hypertension) are significantly more likely to die prematurely from cardiovascular diseases.
“We were surprised to find that high blood pressure in childhood is linked to serious health issues many years later,” said epidemiologist Alexa Friedman from Northwestern University.
What Did the Researchers Discover?
The researchers analyzed medical data collected from 37,081 children born in the U.S. between 1959 and 1965, including their blood pressure readings at age 7. A follow-up study was conducted decades later when participants were in their early seventies, as reported by Science Alert.
From the tens of thousands in the sample, nearly 500 died from cardiovascular disease, including participants who did not have elevated blood pressure in childhood. However, participants who had elevated or high blood pressure at age seven had a 40-50 percent higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
Blood pressure was measured only once, at age 7, and not monitored throughout their lives, which limited the reliability of the conclusions. However, the increased mortality risk is quite significant, warranting further investigation. This study underscores the importance of cardiovascular health even at a very young age.
“It is extremely important to monitor a child’s blood pressure,” Friedman emphasized.
Future research could consider additional factors influencing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as oral hygiene and other health behaviors.
The blood pressure data for this study were collected nearly 60 years ago. Today, children likely face different health and wellness challenges. Research has shown that physical activity and nutrition can also impact blood pressure readings.
In addition to increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension is also associated with kidney disease, vision loss, sexual dysfunction, and atherosclerosis, where potentially dangerous plaques form in the arteries.
“Our findings highlight the importance of screening for blood pressure in childhood and developing strategies to support cardiovascular health from a young age,” concluded Alexa Friedman.
The study was published in JAMA.
Photo: Unsplash
